Give my love
by patronsaintofdirtyfilthylovers
Summary: Based on the song "Give My Love to Rose"  It tells the  very unlikely but sad and sweet  story of how Lawrence first met Linda.  Rated T to be safe.
1. Chapter 1 By the Railroad Tracks

**A/N This is based on the song _Give My Love to Rose _By Johnny Cash. I'm fairly obsessed with Johnny Cash right now, so I pretty much HAD to write this. **_**Lyrics to the song at the bottom**_

**Disclaimer: I don't own Phineas or Ferb or Johnny Cash or his lyrics...**

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><p><em>Chapter 1 By the railroad tracks<em>

Lawrence walked through the misty morning, hands jammed into his pockets. He was a simple man. A simple man whose life had grown far to complicated. Ever since his wife left a year ago, leaving a new born baby boy behind, his life was lonely, to say the least. Every day was a struggle. He couldn't go grocery shopping anymore without breaking into tears and even his own son couldn't bring him the same joy. Just his emerald green hair was enough to drudge up painful memories of his mother and unbearable lonelieness. As far as he was concerned, there was nothing good left in his life anymore. He wanted it all to disappear. He left Ferb with a friend and never planned to go back. He's been walking for hours. Hours and he still felt so near to his problems. But he just kept walking.

He rounded a corner near a railroad track and thought he might hitch a ride when he noticed something. Something dark was hidden by a bush just past the tracks As he got closer he saw it was a man, lying in the shade of the plant. His breathing was shallow and ragged. Lawrence knelt down beside him, not sure what to do. The man was real tall with red hair and a triangular, mud-streaked face. His wide blue eyes shone brightly with tranquility even though his clothes were little more then tattered pieces and soaked in blood. He seemed so oddly peaceful for someone so injured. Maybe even close to death and yet, he absolutely radiated optimism and something else, relief?

"Sir? Are you alright?" He kept his eyes on the mans face, afraid to look to closely at his mangled body.  
>"Thank God someone found me." He must have been in great pain but his words were calm. His voice, though, barely came out as a whisper and Lawrence had to lean in close just to hear him. "I don't think I'll make it back home." He sort of chuckled.<br>Lawrence realized what bad of shape this man must have been in and started to panic, "What happened to you? I'll call an ambulance!" He stood up to find a phone but the man grabbed his arm with a mud caked hand.  
>"Don't go."<br>"But I-"  
>"Just listen." The man breathed. He pulled a blood stained wallet from his pocket and set it shakily into Lawrence's hands. "Here's all my money. Can- Can you get it to my wife? Her address is inside. Tell her to buy some thing pretty, won't you mister? She deserves it. Tell her to find someone else too. She shouldn't be alone. Linda shouldn't be alone."<br>"W-What? Linda? Is that your wife?" Lawrence pulled away what little was left of his shirt to possibly clean some of the wounds. He almost threw up when he saw it. "I'll find some help. You'll be okay." The man ignored him.  
>"Tell my daughter, Candace, I love her. Tell her she's so pretty... Just like her mother..." He said dreamily.<br>"Tell her yourself." Lawrence encouraged. His eyes looked far away.  
>"I never knew my boy. Phineas." The man struggled. "But tell him- Tell my boy, I'm so proud of him. Tell him to take care of his mom and sister and always to be a good boy. And don't forget to give my love to Linda."<br>"No!" Lawrence shouted, surprising himself a little. He couldn't quite place why but he couldn't let this man die without a fight. He barely knew him but it was suddenly imperative he survived. He had to get home. He had to see his family, he had to meet his son. "Your not going to die! Your family needs you!" Lawrence tried to force the leather wallet back into the mans cold hands but it slipped through his fingers.  
>"Tell them, please?" The man starred up at Lawrence. All at once, the importance of what the man was saying hit him. How much trust he had just invested in him. "Please?"<br>Lawrence's eyes grew watery but he nodded, "Yes, I will."  
>The man half smiled and mouthed something like thank you and without any struggled closed his eyes. Lawrence sat back on his heels and sobbed for this man he had never really known. He sobbed for the family he felt behind and mostly for the little boy who would never know his dad. Lawrence stayed like that for what seemed like eternity and when he looked up he say it. The dead mans wallet. He scooped it up with a new resolve. He would find this family and deliver the messages this man never could. And more importantly Lawrence would go home, to his son. Ferb may never know his mother but he would know his dad, come hell or high water.<p>

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><p><strong>AN Ehh, that was a lot darker then I meant for it to be... And also not nearly as good as I was hoping...**

**I'm not sure if this will stay a one shot or not... I have a couple of ideas but I don't know of I'll actually write them. Maybe if I get a lot of reviews..? Please?**

I found him by the railroad track this morning  
>I could see that he was nearly dead<br>I knelt down beside him and I listened  
>Just to hear the words the dying fellow said<p>

He said they let me out of prison down in Frisco  
>For ten long years I've paid for what I've done<br>I was trying to get back to Louisiana  
>To see my Rose and get to know my son<p>

Give my love to Rose please won't you mister  
>Take her all my money, tell her to buy some pretty clothes<br>Tell my boy his daddy's so proud of him  
>And don't forget to give my love to Rose<p>

Tell them I said thanks for waiting for me  
>Tell my boy to help his mom at home<br>Tell my Rose to try to find another  
>For it ain't right that she should live alone<p>

Mister here's a bag with all my money  
>It won't last them long the way it goes<br>God bless you for finding me this morning  
>And don't forget to give my love to Rose<p>

Give my love to Rose please won't you mister  
>Take her all my money, tell her to buy some pretty clothes<br>Tell my boy his daddy's so proud of him  
>And don't forget to give my love to Rose<p> 


	2. Chapter 2 The Wallet

**A/N Seriously? I got a bunch of story alerts and even a few Favorites but 1 review? Is it that hard to review people, really? **

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><p><em>Chapter 2 The wallet<em>

It seemed silly now, standing outside a strangers door, what lead to all this. Had his life really been that bad? Had he really been to selfish? How could he leave his only son behind so willingly? It seemed almost lucky he had meet that man near the tracks. Ironically the dieing man had brought new life to Lawrence. Lawrence took Ferb fishing and learned what a brilliant child he was. Neither of them could remember a time they were happier. It seemed so unfair that this unnamed man should bring such happiness to someone he didn't even know and leave so much woe in the ones he cared about. ****  
><strong>**

It was the day of the funeral and Lawrence knew it was about time he delivered his final message. Lawrence checked the address in the wallet one more time and rang the doorbell. A young, red-headed woman answered the door.

"Hello?" The woman said confused. Her eyes were red-rimmed and gaunt. A little girl, maybe 7 or 8 clung to her. Her hair was also red and she had big, blue eyes. Just like the dieing man had had.  
>"Ello. Linda?"<br>"Yes." Linda sniffed as she looked quizzically at Lawrence. Sadness flooded Lawrence at the sight of her grief-stricken face. She really was beautiful. "Do I know you?"  
>"I-I was the, um, one who found him." Lawrence said awkwardly. She cocked her head to the side. Her face was full of an odd mix of confusion, sadness and, mostly, curiosity. Lawrence looked at his toes shyly. "Before he, uh, died, he asked me to give this to you."<br>Lawrence held the frayed wallet out to the women. She reached out and took it with shaking fingers.  
>"This was his.." She whispered. Her thin fingers traced over the faded leather. "He gave this to you?"<br>Lawrence nodded, still looking at the tips of his shoes. "And he wanted me to send you his love. He said he to buy yourself something pretty, you deserve it."  
>"Did he say anything else?" Linda asked, hopefully.<br>"Yes." Lawrence looked up and started right at the widowed woman in front of him. "He said to tell Candace shes beautiful and he loves her. He also said to tell Phineas to be a good boy and he's sorry he never got to meet him." Linda looked for him to continue, her eyes were watery. Lawrence himself choked up a little on his the last sentence, "And he said it's not right for you to be alone. He said to  
>"Find another?" Her lip quivered. "What does that mean?"<br>Lawrence cursed his word choice and rushed to correct the situation, "No, he said it wouldn't be right for you to be alone. He loved you." Lawrence could even tell that from the brief time he had spent with the man.  
>Linda wiped her eyes and smiled, "Thanks, um?"<br>"Lawrence."  
>"Thanks Lawrence. That means a lot."<p>

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><p><strong>AN Please review. Thanks. **


	3. Chapter 3 Healing

_Chapter 3 Healing_

Lawrence, no matter how he tried, could not forget the widow with the red hair. He felt awful about it but his mind was ignorant to this insensitivity because her imagine replied in his mind day and night. After the day he delivered the sad news she had invited him to go to lunch, to thank him properly but he had graciously turned it down. She had though given him her number anyway just in case he might ever changed his mind.

"Thank you do much. You have no idea how much that means to me, and the kids." She had said over and over again. Lawrence would just nod and say he was glad to do it. It was the proper thing to do.****  
><strong>**

In one hand he grips the paper upon which her number was scribbled and in the other he held a phone. Yet, he couldn't quite bring himself to make the final move, to dial the number and talk to the girl had caused so many sleepless nights. Dialing those seven numbers seemed to him a crime the likes of which would invoke the wrath of God himself. He shook the thought physically from him and gathered all his courage. Lucky he did because it was all he could do to keep from hanging up when her voice called out to him from over the line. She agreed quickly to his proposal of dinner. She had sounded excited. Really excited, but to Lawrence's absolute horror the conversation had ended with with her saying;

"Your a great friend, Lawrence. Thanks."

Of course, that was to be expected. Her husband just died. Lawrence lay on the couch, the phone still clutched to his chest. He was disgusted with himself. Lawrence owed that man by the tracks so much. More than he could ever repay, he knew that but the least he could do was respect his memory. He couldn't even do that. Then again, wasn't his dying wish that she find another? So she wouldn't be alone? But his body wasn't even a month old. He couldn't possibly mean that quickly. No. He told himself. We're just friends anyway. Lawrence tapped the phone against his chest. The normally quite, reserved young man had certainly gotten himself into a situation now. What could he do though? A smile crossed his face. He would do the only thing he could do. He would tread the dangerous friend zone. He knew it was a whirlpool from which, rarely, any man has escaped but it seemed better to him then loosing her entirely. Which is surely what would happen if he tried to be more then friends now. No, friends would be fine. He would be there for her, to lend a listening ear when she needed it most. Maybe someday they could be more but until then friends would be just fine.

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><p><strong>AN Annnnd that's where it ends. This last chapter really kinda sucks. I wanted to write something that played with more raw emotions and, as it turns out, I suck at it. Won't do that again, fluff is obviously my medium. It was worth a try though. I feel as though my writing style is changing a lot, which is good I hope but I can't quite find my niche.. Oh well, you don't care haha :p**

**Thank you BroadwayFanGirl91 and RomanianPrincess for reviewing. You're the best**.


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